Purpose of a Home Resort

[Tink_Kel]

Please bear with this DVC wanna-be newbie....can you tell me the purpose of a home resort, and the importance of the choice? I thought once you get into DVC you can stay at any of the resorts. Do you have first dibs, reservation-wise if it's your home resort?

TIA!

 

[rigsby25]

You could call it first dibs. I own at OKW. I can make a reservation as far as 11 months in advance. At 7 months out - anyone can make a reservation at OKW. This is most important if you own at a small resort or a very popular resort and mostly or only want to stay there. At 7 mos., sadly, it is hard to get a reservation in popular resorts even if you do own there.

 

[Tink_Kel]

You could call it first dibs. I own at OKW. I can make a reservation as far as 11 months in advance. At 7 months out - anyone can make a reservation at OKW. This is most important if you own at a small resort or a very popular resort and mostly or only want to stay there. At 7 mos., sadly, it is hard to get a reservation in popular resorts even if you do own there.

Thank you!

 

[BigDogMom7]

This is why we bought at BCV - it's the only place my DH is willing to stay (he'd really rather spend vacation at home). I have no trouble getting ressies 11 mo. in advance, but it may have been difficult 7 mo. out. So we were willing to pay a higher per-point price in order to get BCV. If you'd be happy with OKW or SSR, which cost less per point, one strategy is to buy there, make a ressie there at 11 mo. out, then try to change it at 7 mos. out. As long as you'd still be happy at OKW or SSR, you're good to go. But if you can't plan more than 7 mos. in advance, then it really doesn't matter where your home resort is.

 

[oakmanner]

I agree with the two PP.

 

[Buckeye Fan]

Please bear with this DVC wanna-be newbie....can you tell me the purpose of a home resort, and the importance of the choice? I thought once you get into DVC you can stay at any of the resorts. Do you have first dibs, reservation-wise if it's your home resort?

TIA!

If you cannot book 8 - 11 months in advance, your home resort will mean nothing to you. Buy the best deal you can find (whether that's resort expiration date, price per point, maintenance fees, etc.).

If you can book 8 - 11 months in advance, a home resort booking advantage will mean a lot. It increases your odds at getting some of the following:
* a reservation at VWL during Christmas
* a THV at SSR
* a concierge room at AKV
* a reservation at BWV or BCV during the F & W festival
* ability to reserve a grand villa at Vero Beach or OKW
* ability to reserve a room at Hilton Head during the summer months
* chances of getting a Magic Kingdom view at BLT

There are more examples, but those are some of the highlights. Without owning at a given resort, you can't try and book those until 7 months out. At 7 months, any DVC owner can book a reservation anywhere, so you are competing with everyone else to make a reservation.

With that said, we own at SSR. With the exception of VB and HHI, we have been able to book at all of the DVC resorts at the 7 month mark. Certain rooms may not have been available (e.g., standard view at BWV or concierge at AKV), but we have been able to stay at all of the other DVCs.

Best of luck choosing! That's the fun part.

 

[chalee94]

the other factor of your choice of home resort is how much you pay in annual dues.

The approximate annual dues per point for 2009 at each resort are: Saratoga Springs $4.34, Old Key West $4.73, Animal Kingdom $4.86, Beach Club $5.00, Wilderness Lodge $5.04, Boardwalk $5.21, Hilton Head $5.36 and Vero $6.41.

 

[Tink_Kel]

Thank you guys so much for all your answers!! I'm thinking since we're basically "childless" (kids are almost grown), and look into getting this for our own entertainment, during non-peak seasons (we hate crowds), we shouldn't have problems getting reservations at the 7 month mark? If this is true, it would probably be best for us to get a re-sale? Also, from what I gather, you cannot buy into the BCV or BWV unless it's a resale, is that correct?

 

[LisaS]

Just be aware that what might be off season for the parks is not necessarily off season for DVC. For example, one of the busiest times (and hardest times to book a non-home resort 7 months out) is the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

You can buy any DVC resort directly from Disney. They usually have a waiting list for BCV but many of the other resorts may be available when you call, especially if you're not particular about which Use Year you purchase. If not, the wait for anything other than BCV is usually not very long. Once you pay your deposit, you can begin making reservations so the process is very quick and easy.

Buying on the resale market takes longer. It can take about 2 months between making an offer and making your first reservation. But you can save a lot of money by purchasing a contract on the resale market. Just look at the details for each contract very carefully so that you will know how many points you will get. Some contracts are completely "stripped" (no banked points, no current points and all of the next Use Year's points have been borrowed and used already) while others are "fully loaded" with banked points, all current points and all of next year's points available, and everything in between. If you scroll up to the top of this page you will see a link for "DVC Resale Listings". It will bring up a list of DVC resale contracts available from The Timeshare Store, a board sponsor. Their listings will give you the full scoop on available points for each contract. Not all brokers do that (some make you call and ask).

This is a good time to buy on the resale market. Disney has Right of First Refusal on all resales and they have been letting things go through for much lower prices lately.

 

[work2play]

I have all of the same questions and I am in the same situation. I am thinking of buying 100 points at 2 different home resorts. Does anyone have any data on not being able to get into a resort at the 7 month mark?? Things we don't want to do:

Go anytime school is out
Go the week between Christmas and New Years

We like going when the crowds are less and frequently go in late September or October. We also like to go the week after Thanksgiving. We may also be interested in January and February and maybe May....

We are thinking of 100 points at BLT, but from what I can tell we can't buy that until we buy somewhere else and "add on" points at BLT. Since it looks like on the resale market that BCV seems to be higher cost per point, does that mean that it is harder to get into and we should pick there??

Where would you buy given your reservation experience??

 

[Sandisw]

I have all of the same questions and I am in the same situation. I am thinking of buying 100 points at 2 different home resorts. Does anyone have any data on not being able to get into a resort at the 7 month mark?? Things we don't want to do:

Go anytime school is out
Go the week between Christmas and New Years

We like going when the crowds are less and frequently go in late September or October. We also like to go the week after Thanksgiving. We may also be interested in January and February and maybe May....

We are thinking of 100 points at BLT, but from what I can tell we can't buy that until we buy somewhere else and "add on" points at BLT. Since it looks like on the resale market that BCV seems to be higher cost per point, does that mean that it is harder to get into and we should pick there??

Where would you buy given your reservation experience??

I am a new member but from my research over the past few months, this is what I have learned:

1. Getting in at VWL during December can be difficult due to its close proximity to MK for the holidays. Speculation is that BLT may be the same.

2. Getting rooms at BCV or BWV during Food & Wine (late September, October) can also be difficut.

3. DVC members tend to go at times when the parks are not as crowded. That means that the availability at 7 months may or may not be there.

4. Getting AKL conceirge rooms at 7 months is and will continue to be difficult.

I knew that I really wanted to stay at BLT but also knew I did not want to committ to the 160 minimum (rumored to be going to 200, but didn't). Anyway, I bought a small resale contract at VWL since it was my 2nd choice resort. I then added on at BLT with a smaller committment because I was now a member.

I think choosing home resort only matters if you can bookk more than the 7 months in advance and if you have a preference. There are many DVC members who really do not care where they stay and are perfectly happy staying anywhere. If this is you, then I think buying where you get the best deal makes sense.

However, if you see yourself going to F&W in October, and want to be at BCV without chancing it, then buy points there. I have found that there are some people who buy several home resorts for the booking advantage for the times that are busy.

 

[crisi]

Just be aware that what might be off season for the parks is not necessarily off season for DVC. For example, one of the busiest times (and hardest times to book a non-home resort 7 months out) is the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

As well, there are some other factors than "what is peak DVC time."

For instance, Boardwalk standard view is often not available seven months out regardless of how unpeak the season is. That isn't to say it never is, just that if you get the opportunity to book it six months out, you've been lucky.

Also, while at seven months there can be availability, especially at some of the smaller resorts it can go fast as soon as the booking window opens up. There can be a huge difference between calling at seven months and calling at six and a half months. The common refrain from four or five months out is "nothing is available but SSR and OKW."

 

[work2play]

Thanks! That helps me understand why BWV and BCV seem to go for more on the resale market. Although there may be times that I would like to stay at a golf resort like SSR, it looks like that would not be a problem if I bought at BWV or BCV. Is there any real difference between the two? Someone told me that DVC members like BCV because they get to use the Stormalong Bay pool facilities. How about the views? Do either have water views??

 

[crisi]

Only BWV has water views - and its a booking catagory that like Standard View is often gone before the seven month window opens.

The advantage of BWVs:

Grand Villas (BCV has no Grand Villas)
Standard View Rooms
Boardwalk View Rooms

Advantages to BCV:

Access to Storm Along Bay
Availability of two bedroom dedicateds (all two bedrooms at BWVs are lockoffs)

The other 'advantages' are either minor or personal preference. I like the dining table layout at BCVs a little better - its a little closer to Epcot if you walk. Boardwalk has a community hall. Things like access to restaurants are sort of moot (in my opinion) since the resorts are about a ten minute walk from one another - but if you were a huge ESPN fan or needed to go to Beaches and Cream several times a trip, it might be a factor.